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KUWAIT: Political dissidents accused of slamming ruling family released

April 22, 2009 | 9:50
am

Kuwaiti authorities released two political dissidents after holding them for several days for criticizing the ruling family in public, according to media reports. The two, former member of parliament Daifallah Buramia and municipal council member Khalifa al Kharafi, were running as candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The arrests reflect the crisis in democracy that Kuwait is facing these days. This small, oil-rich nation is often hailed for having an elected parliament, a rarity among autocratic Persian Gulf kingdoms. But tolerance toward political dissidents apparently has limits, especially when the ruling family is attacked.

Buramia, who was a member in the previous Islamist parliamentary bloc, was also arrested last week for reportedly saying during an election rally recently that Defense Minister Sheik Jabar al Hamad al Sabah, a close relative of the nation’s ruler, was “not fit” to become prime minister.

The arrests may be a sign that the Kuwaiti ruling family is toughening its stance against political opponents at the height of electoral campaigning.

Photo: Kuwaiti former Islamist opposition lawmaker Daifallah Buramia, center, speaks to the media as security forces arrive to arrest him in Kuwait City last week. Buramia was released today, according to media reports. Credit: Yasser al Zayyat / AFP